Tell Me Lies
by Crimson-Pen531
Summary: Hawkeye reflects on Mustang's personal goals and dreams. Will they ever become a reality? Oneshot.


First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye sighed deeply as she followed her superior officer Colonel Roy Mustang down the halls of Eastern Command. As usual, he was rambling on about how someday he would be Fuehrer and everything would be different. He would make everything right that had once gone wrong. He would be the leader of the lost, and the military would have a good reputation again.

Oh sure, she had the utmost faith in him…most of the time. It was just that it all seemed so farfetched, especially the way he talked about it. She knew almost better than anyone else that things in the military would never be considered good or "for the people" as they once were. The only hope of salvation that the "people" had was a little runt of an alchemist named Edward Elric.

Hawkeye had never been one to believe in silly dreams such as these that Mustang seemed to hold so close to his heart. She was more of a realist, one of the few soldiers who absolutely knew that there was no such thing as an uncorrupt leader, a vigilant fighter for the innocent citizens of their country. But, if that was all true, then why on earth was she still following that knuckleheaded man she called "sir"?

_I never believed that there was a rainbow_

_With a pot of gold at the end_

_I'm much too smart for fairy tales like that_

_Yet here I am again_

Of course, Hawkeye knew the answer to that question before she even asked it. She knew that she would follow Mustang to the very ends of the earth if he asked her to. He was a great man as well as a magnificent leader, and whether or not she would have admitted this to anyone but herself, she knew that someday he would make the best Fuehrer this military had ever seen.

There had been times ever since she joined him as one of his subordinates that she had absolutely no doubt that he would reach every goal he aspired to. Mustang had always been a real go-getter. Normally, she wouldn't have bothered standing beside such an excitable live wire as himself for so long, but there was always something about the way his eyes gleamed with exhilaration whenever he spoke of his ambitions that made her want to help him in every way she possibly could.

Just looking at the way he shone as he proclaimed time and time again that one day he would be at the very head of the military somehow made her believe that it was all possible, that it would really happen someday. Those ebony eyes, so perfectly matching his shining dark hair, always glimmered with a splendid bravado that kept her his infinitely faithful companion.

_I thought this time, this time_

_We're gonna make it_

_Why I thought so_

_I really don't know_

_Maybe something in his eyes just_

_Told me so_

But then behind those brilliantly striking and candid eyes remained a small spark of falsehood that always kept her running back to him whenever he called for her. Hawkeye could hardly begin to count all the times that she had hung on his every word, believed everything he ever told her, only to be let down in the end when neither of their dreams came true.

That was partly what worried her so much. Mustang was always so sure of himself. He never seemed to doubt anything about his intentions, and yet he had been knocked down so many times by the higher-ups that it was a wonder his spirits hadn't dampened in the slightest. Whenever he was excessively humbled by one such as General Hakuro, it would only make him want to try all the harder to surpass the shrewd leader in the ranks.

Hawkeye knew better. She knew that as long as men like Hakuro were in charge, Mustang would never get anywhere higher than where he was at the moment, at least…not since Hughes's death. Even with all the brightness that remained in Mustang's character, she chose to remain a pragmatist, knowing that the harder he tried, the harder he would be knocked down in the end. He was only going to end up getting hurt, and she wasn't sure she could handle watching that.

_Something in his eyes_

_Tells me lies_

_And I come running_

_I must have lost my mind_

_I could close my eyes_

_And tell you just exactly what's coming_

_Life's gonna turn_

_Just a little unkind_

The lieutenant watched with concerned eyes as her superior continued to rant on and on about his future plans, how great everything would be once he was in a position of higher power. Of course, he proclaimed, she would be right there beside him as she always was, there was no doubt about that.

Hawkeye had to smile as she heard that last statement. Yes, ever vigilantly by his side. But it was only a moment or two later that reality set in, and she remembered that this was all just fantasy, a silly dream that Mustang had concocted sometime during the war in Ishbal.

While it was true that he had risen through the ranks significantly ever since he had returned from that terrible massacre as a hero, she had seen so many others pass him by, so many promotions denied him because those who were actually in power knew all too well of his true intentions.

All the glory that he deserved was being given to the service men and women who, she knew, weren't half the soldier that Mustang was. When was it going to be his turn to shine in the sun? When would he get his chance to sail away on his own perfect dream?

So many times she had considered asking him to call the whole thing off, to stop trying to change the way things were and just focus on the here and now. After all, they were in a current time of crisis, and the people both in Eastern and Central Commands needed a real leader that they could look up to. How on earth was he supposed to lead them when his head was constantly in the clouds? "Just stop this, sir!" she wanted to cry out. "We need you back here on planet Earth!"

_Seems like everyone's sailing  
Way out on the sea_

_And I'm stuck here on the shore_

_The sun's always shining_

_But it's never on me_

_Why should I try anymore?_

Just as she had almost gathered up the courage to tell him what she really thought, Mustang turned around with a bright smile and said, "What do you think, Hawkeye? You know I value your opinion over anyone else's. You have to tell me what you think of my plans."

Staring into his profoundly dark eyes, she found that she couldn't tell him that his ideas were fruitless, that they would come to nothing in the end. Even though they still held a bit of untruth to them, they were still too honest. She could tell just by looking at him that his intentions were nothing but the best, and she realized once again that no matter how many times his eyes would lie to her, she would always return to his side as always.

Perhaps this was one time when she could toss aside realism and focus on a bit of fancy, anything to make him happy. And was it really so implausible to believe that he may one day truly be Fuehrer? Maybe that was a dream that one really could reach, at least, one as ambitious as Mustang.

She finally smiled just slightly as she replied, "I believe wholeheartedly in you, sir. I think your ideas for the future of the military are nothing if not impressive and perfect. When you do become Fuehrer, sir, this military will be much better than it is today, which in my humble opinion, would be quite the accomplishment."

Mustang smiled a little bit brighter. "Exactly!" he exclaimed. "I knew you'd think so! Now, as I was saying…"

Hawkeye simply continued to beam as they walked a bit further, and she decided to keep her silly ideas of practicality to herself. After all, what was the harm in letting him dream, especially if that dream could one day become a reality itself?

_Tell me lies_

_Tell me lies_

_I just keep right on coming_

_This time I've got_

_To believe in a dream_

_This time I've got_

_To believe in his dream_


End file.
